Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for processing a monocrystalline Si-semiconductor wafer. The monocrystalline Si-semiconductor wafer has a front side which is at least partially processed with respect to a sequence of layer deposition processes.
Conventional microelectronic memory elements (DRAMs) mostly use oxide or nitride layers which have a dielectric constant of a maximum of about 8 as a storage dielectric. In order to make a storage capacitor smaller and to produce nonvolatile memories (FRAMs), xe2x80x9cnew typexe2x80x9d capacitor materials (dielectrics or ferroelectrics) having distinctly high dielectric constants are needed. For that purpose, capacitor materials Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 [PZT], SrBi2Ta2O9 [SBT], SrTiO3 [ST] and (Ba,Sr)TiO3 [BST] are known from pages 51-53 of a generic publication entitled xe2x80x9cNeue Dielektrika fxc3xcr Gbit-Speicherchipsxe2x80x9d [New Dielectrics for Gbit memory chips] by W. Hxc3x6nlein, Phys. Bl. 55 (1999).
The use of those new type dielectrics/ferroelectrics with high epsilon presents problems for various reasons. For one thing, those new type materials can no longer be combined with the traditional electrode material (poly)silicon. For that reason, inert electrode materials such as, for example, Pt or conductive oxides (e.g. RuO2) must be used. Furthermore, a diffusion barrier (e.g. of TiN, TaN, Ir, IrO2 and MoSi2) must be inserted between the electrode material and the conductive connecting structure (plug) to the transistor.
Finally, the production of such structures requires a position of the new type high-epsilon dielectrics/ferroelectrics in an oxygen atmosphere and the usually multiple tempering of the already partially processed Si-semiconductor wafer at temperatures above 550xc2x0 C.
In practice, having to use those new type substances (metal and rare earth metals) for the high-epsilon dielectric/ferroelectric, the electrodes and the barrier layer, in connection with the requirements of having to use high process temperatures which favor diffusion processes, results in a considerably increased risk of contamination of the Si-semiconductor wafer during production.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,405 describes a method in which an Ar gas flow is conducted over the back of a semiconductor wafer which is mounted on a substrate holder in a CVD reactor in order to reduce adsorption of contamination.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,224 describes a method in which the back of a semiconductor wafer is protected by application of a protective SiO2 or Si3N4 layer during polishing of the front and of the edge of the wafer. The protective layer is removed again after the polishing process.
Patent Abstracts of Japan Publication No. 56-83948 describes a method for processing a semiconductor substrate in which a layer containing contamination and being formed of a semiconductor material or its oxide is applied to the back of the semiconductor substrate. The contamination is distributed in the semiconductor substrate in a later tempering step.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,335 describes a method for processing a monocrystalline Si-semiconductor wafer in which the semiconductor wafer is subjected to a temperature treatment step at a temperature of over 550xc2x0 C. during the processing. Before the processing, a polycrystalline silicon layer is applied as a getter layer to the back of the Si-semiconductor wafer. A protective layer protecting against the penetration of contamination during the temperature treatment step, for example a silicon nitride layer, is applied to the polycrystalline silicon layer.
Similarly, in Patent Abstracts of Japan Publication No. 54-069964, silicon nitride layers are directly applied as protective layers to the front and back of a semiconductor substrate through the use of a plasma CVD process. The subsequent heat treatment step takes place at a temperature of about 500xc2x0 C. and is used for reducing contact resistances of applied electrode layers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,875 describes a method for producing CMOS transistors and ferroelectric capacitors on a semiconductor substrate in which silicon nitride layers are applied as protective layers to the side walls of the wafer and the back of the wafer substrate. As described therein, a LPCVD process can preferably be performed for the deposition.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,734, a production method for semiconductor components is described in which the back of a semiconductor wafer is thinned and roughened by chemical/mechanical planarization (CMP). In that process, crystal dislocations are produced in the vicinity of the surface of the back of the wafer which are used as traps for moving contamination. That creates a getter layer through the use of which contamination in the semiconductor substrate can be trapped in a heat treatment step.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method for processing a Si-semiconductor wafer which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known methods of this general type, which enables risks of contamination of the semiconductor wafer to be reduced during a tempering step and in which the Si-semiconductor wafer is at least partially processed at the front and is protected against contamination in a subsequent tempering step.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for processing a monocrystalline Si-semiconductor wafer, which comprises subjecting the Si-semiconductor wafer to a plurality of tempering steps at a temperature of over 550xc2x0 C. A protective layer is applied to the back of the Si-semiconductor wafer, at least once before a tempering step. The protective layer protects against penetration of at least one metal and/or rare earth metal substance into the Si-semiconductor wafer during the tempering step. The protective layer is at least partially removed for removing a contaminated surface area between two of the tempering steps. Applying the protection layer to the back of the Si-semiconductor wafer in accordance with the invention prevents metal and/or rare earth metal substances from being able to become adsorbed at the xe2x80x9cnakedxe2x80x9d back of the semiconductor wafer before or during the tempering step, from being able to pass into the monocrystalline Si material by diffusion and from contaminating it during the tempering step. Such contamination of the semiconductor material is unwanted since it can lead to an impairment of the life and/or electrical characteristics of the components which are produced on the front of the semiconductor wafer.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, the protective layer is a Si3N4 barrier layer. It has been found that a nitride layer forms a decidedly efficient diffusion barrier, especially compared with Pt.
In accordance with a further mode of the invention, the Si3N4 barrier layer is preferably deposited through the use of an LPCVD (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) process. This provides a very xe2x80x9cdensexe2x80x9d nitride with a low etching rate and good diffusion barrier characteristics.
In accordance with an added mode of the invention, a SiO2 buffer layer is suitably applied to the Si-semiconductor wafer before the Si3N4 barrier layer is deposited. This prevents excessive tensions which can impair the homogeneity, the mechanical stability and the diffusion barrier effect of the Si3N4 barrier layer, from building up between the monocrystalline silicon substrate and the Si3N4 barrier layer.
In accordance with an additional mode of the invention, in a second preferred embodiment, the protective layer is a SiO2 barrier layer. The SiO2 barrier layer also counteracts contamination of the monocrystalline Si-semiconductor substrate, assuming that its effect is based on inclusion or enhancement processes of the substance or substances to be kept away in the layer to a greater extent than in the case of the Si3N4 barrier layer.
In accordance with yet another mode of the invention, in a third preferred embodiment, the protective layer is a barrier layer which is formed of a three-layer structure and is built up of a polysilicon sublayer embedded in two SiO2 sublayers or a multilayer structure formed of alternatingly disposed SiO2 and polysilicon sublayers.
In accordance with yet a further mode of the invention, the thickness of the protective layer can be selected as a function of the layer material being used, the type and dose rate of the substance or substances and the process conditions (particularly temperature and duration of the tempering step). The protective layer preferably has a thickness of greater than 30 nm, particularly greater than 100 nm.
In accordance with yet an added mode of the invention, the protective layer is doped with a substance acting as a trapping center for the substance or substances to be kept away from the Si-semiconductor substrate, particular phosphorous. The doping increases the inclusion or adsorption capability of the protective layer with respect to the substance or substances.
During the processing of the front of the Si-semiconductor wafer, a number of layer deposition steps are usually carried out during which various such substances (metals and/or rare earth metals) are released. In accordance with yet an additional mode of the invention, the protective layer is subjected, after a layer deposition process, to a scrubbing for removing deposited substances and/or for partially removing the protective layer to remove a more contaminated surface area after a layer deposition process or between two tempering steps. The result of this mode of the invention is that the degree of occupancy or enhancement of the protective layer with contaminating substances is reduced before the next tempering step.
In accordance with a concomitant mode of the invention, the back of the Si-semiconductor wafer is deliberately damaged in an area close to the surface before applying the protective layer. However, a xe2x80x9cdamage layerxe2x80x9d formed in this manner is capable of adsorbing and xe2x80x9cdemobilizingxe2x80x9d the substances mentioned and thus of counteracting their diffusion into the monocrystalline Si-semiconductor substrate, additionally to the protective layer.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method for processing a monocrystalline Si-semiconductor wafer, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.